Baling machines for waste and other compressible materials may be of either the horizontal or the vertical configuration. Regardless of the orientation of the baler, waste material is advanced from a receiving chamber to a compaction chamber wherein compression of the material occurs as additional material is transferred. Once the material has attained a sufficient degree of compression, then there is a need for the compressed material to be strapped in order to maintain the compressed condition during handling and transport.
Certain balers, known as two-ram balers, utilize a full-size, high-power ram for transferring the compressed material from the compression or compaction chamber into a separate strapping chamber in which the bale is tied. Other balers utilize automatic strappers that apply one strap at a time as the bale is incrementally ejected from the compression chamber by a full-size, high-power ram. Each of these types of two-ram balers is relatively expensive because of the cost of the full-sized ram and its high-powered hydraulic system.
Another type of baler is the closed-end horizontal baler. These balers require that a formed bale be ejected by the next subsequent bale being formed. Closed-end balers permit the compressed materials to be intermingled, because the material being compressed for one bale may become enmeshed in the immediately precedent bale. Closed-end balers also require careful monitoring in order to permit the operator to know when the bale has been ejected. Because intermingling of materials may occur in a closed-end baler, then they are not practicable for recycling of materials. Recycling has received renewed interest recently, but recycling customarily requires that different materials be kept separated.
Those skilled in the art will understand that there is a need for a relatively high capacity two-ram baler which is suitable for use in the recycling industry. Such a two-ram baler should be relatively inexpensive, should prevent intermingling of materials, and should occupy as little space as possible. The disclosed invention is a two-ram horizontal baler which straps the formed bale in the compression chamber, and which transversely ejects the bale with a relatively low powered hydraulic ram because the compaction pressure is relieved by a pivotal top on the chamber and partial retraction of the ram prior to bale ejection.